Hyannis Factory To Close; Cape Cod Chips Soon No Longer Made Here

HYANNIS, MA — A snack brand that originated in this village nearly half a century ago, Cape Cod Potato Chips will end local production in April when the chip factory on Breeds Hill Road closes.

Forty-nine employees will lose jobs, according to a statement Thursday from the plant owner, food conglomerate Campbell’s.

The New Jersey-based company said it will continue to produce Cape Cod chips at existing plants in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. The Hyannis factory turns out only 4% of the chips each year, Campbell’s pointed out.

“The site no longer makes economic sense for the business. Production will be transferred to more modern and efficient plants,” the statement said.

Cape Cod Potato Chips launched in 1980, when founder Stephen Bernard got the idea of producing snacks for the tourist trade, the New York Times reported.

With the help of his wife, brother and an industrial potato slicer, he opened an 800-square-foot chip shop that summer in Hyannis. The 20,000-square-foot factory followed in 1985 and then expanded. The business eventually traded hands several times.

Campbell’s Co., which had sales of over $10 billion last year, purchased the plant and the Cape Cod brand in 2018 from another giant food producer, Snyder’s-Lance Inc.

The plant and its six-acre site have an assessed value of $3.4 million, according to tax rolls.

Campbell’s said it will provide separation benefits and job placement support for laid-off employees. The company also plans to continue investing in the Cape through community partnerships, grants and support of culinary training.

Elizabeth Duggan, president of Campbell’s Snacks, said in the statement, “We will maintain a community presence by honoring the brand’s heritage and continue local investment to support the next generation of food innovators on Cape Cod.”

You can read the New York Times profile of Cape Cod Potato Chips here.